|
|
ACP News
Rite Aid CEO Mary F. Sammons
challenges Class of 2007 to make a difference
ALBANY
, N.Y. (May 6, 2007) - Challenging the members of the Class of 2007 to make
a difference in the lives of their patients and in the communities in which
they work and live, Rite Aid President and Chief Executive Officer Mary F.
Sammons delivered the graduation address during Albany College of Pharmacy's
127th Commencement.
"You are graduating at a very exciting time for pharmacy," Sammons said during the ceremonies at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center. "The pharmacist's role Rite Aid CEO Mary Sammons addresses the grads.
as a health care provider continues to grow
as doctors have less time to spend with their patients, especially in the inner city and rural areas.
"Pharmacists host free clinics, free screenings and worry about their patients. They work with communities to improve the health of their residents, and with government agencies to take care of the poor and the needy. And with the advent of medication therapy management, pharmacists are becoming even more active in helping patients manage chronic conditions. Just think about the thousands of lives you will influence . maybe even save."
Sammons, who helped lead the nation's No. 3 drugstore chain on a dramatic financial turnaround this decade, and Akifumi Higurashi, president and CEO of Maruzen Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., a natural products company in Japan , received honorary doctorate degrees. Higurashi was unable to attend and ACP faculty member Dudley Moon, Ph.D., accepted the honorary degree on his behalf.
ACP awarded 141 Doctor of Pharmacy degrees, the most in school history (the six-year Pharm.D. is the sole degree leading to pharmacy licensure in the United States). The college also awarded three Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences degrees and its first-ever B.S. in Biomedical Technology (to Adam J. LaFrance of Glens Falls, N.Y.). Katherine E. Fealey of Colonie, N.Y. , received the William Mansfield Prize, recognizing the highest grade-point average (she had a 3.9). Class President Nardine Nakhla of Manlius, N.Y., delivered the student address.
Ryan Madison '08, Student Government Association president during the 2006-07 academic year, announced the Teacher of the Year honorees. Dr. Moon received the award for Traditional Teacher of the Year (years 1-2 of the curriculum) and Leon Cosler '82, Ph.D., of the Department of Pharmacy Practice received the Professional Teacher of the Year award (years 3-5). The awards are voted on by students in years 1-5.
Department of Arts and Sciences faculty members David Clarke, Ph.D., and Margaret Carroll, Ph.D., also were nominated for Traditional Teacher of the Year. Department of Pharmacy Practice faculty member Andy Flynn '87 and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty member Michael Raley, Ph.D., were the other nominees for Professional Teacher of the Year.
The Class of 2007 included two Pharm.D. students who completed their final two years at ACP after transferring from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Melanie M. DeFusco of New Orleans and Staci L. Dufrene of Gheens , La., both graduated with honors.
As in previous years, all Pharm.D. graduates have jobs waiting for them or have been accepted to graduate programs. Based on survey data collected from 115 members of the Class of 2007, the average starting salary is about $100,000.
"We are proud of the outstanding achievements our graduates have made during their academic careers at ACP," said President James J. Gozzo, Ph.D. "They will help people manage the increasingly complex drug therapy programs that are becoming critical components of today's health care management, they will play a vital role in research and drug development, and they will serve in a wide variety of other critical roles as members of the health care team."
Sammons joined Rite Aid as president and chief operating officer in 1999. She was promoted to CEO in 2003 and has been a key catalyst behind the company's revitalization. Her responsibilities will include more than 5,000 drugstores nationwide with annual revenue close to $27 billion when Rite Aid's acquisition of the Brooks and Eckerd drugstore chains is completed. At that time, she also will be named chairman of the company.
Recognized as an exceptional leader in both the pharmacy and business communities, Sammons has been named among the best CEOs in America , a list that includes Bill Gates at Microsoft, Margaret Whitman at eBay, Steve Jobs at Apple and Janet Robinson at The New York Times. She has been on Forbes magazine's "100 Most Powerful Women" list since 2004 and last year was named one of Fortune magazine's "50 Most Powerful Women" for the fourth consecutive year. She has been selected by The Wall Street Journal as one of its "50 Women to Watch." In 2001, she was named Chain Drug Retailer of the Year by the industry trade magazine Chain Drug Review.
Sammons advised the graduates to take chances, work hard, make a priority of treating people right, operate with the highest integrity and to always give back. She also emphasized the important impact of a positive attitude in life.
"It's time to showcase the vital role pharmacy and pharmacists play in health care," she said in closing.
Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy is the oldest pharmacy school in New York state and one of the only private, independent pharmacy schools in the United States . The college has a long history of serving its students and health care professionals as one of the premier pharmacy colleges in the nation. The college now enters a new era in health care with a focus not only on pharmacy, but also on pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical technology and research.